Tracker-bar.



No. 881,317. PATENTED MAR. 10, 1908.

J. HATTBMER & A. KUHLE.

TRACKBRBAR. APPLIOATION PKILED s311113, 1907.

j mi 'in @ggg o elo o (old ('llikofmupl UNITED sTATEs PATENT OEEIOE.

V JUs'rUs HATTEMER AND ARTHUR KUHLE, or WEsT NEW YORK, NEW JERsEnAssIGNoRs ATo HAEDMAnrEOKe Oo.,A CORPORATION-Or NEW YORK.

TRACKER-BAR.

Application ed September 13, 1907. Serial o. 392,711.

l speeiecation of Letterari-.wena

Patenednamh 1o, 190s.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that we, JUsTUs HATTEMER and ARTHUR KUHLE, citizens of the United States, residing at West New York, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, .have invented certain new/and useful Im.- rovementsin Tracker-Bars; and we do ereby declare. thefollowing to bea full,

clear, and exact descri tion of the invention, such as will enable ot ers .skilled in the artto which it appert'ains to makeandI This invention relates 'to .tracker bars for sc lflaying musicalinstruments, and hasfor an-o ject to provide a trackerbar adapted for use with music sheets of diii'erentcompasses, and embodying improved features of novelty, convenienceand accuracy.

A further Ob'ect of. the'invention is-to pro-,1 vide in a trac er' bar improved means for,

moving into and out ofoperative position the various series of holes or openings employed in association with the music sheets. -`Afurther object of the invention is to 'provide a rotatable tracker bar and with improved covering and registering vmeans *adapted to register with openings formed in.

the said bar.

With these and other objects in view, the invention comprises certain novel constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts, as willbe hereinafter fully described and claimed. j YIn the drawingszwFigure 1 isa transverse sectional view taken perpendicular to the axis Fig. i

1n a self-playing musical instrument or a.

music instrument player, by the employment 0f' the usual' and ordinary or conventional cheek late 10, between which are mounted the ro s 11 and 12, the former of which is preferably the rewind spool and thelatter;

the takeup spool, althou h such spools may be interchanged, if foun desirable.

Between the s' ools. 1-1 and 12, the tracker bar 13'is journeI ed inl any approved-manner as by thev employment of the trunnions14 extendinginto an o ening in the cheek plate so that ,the axis o thel tracker bar is sub-5 4 stantially parallelwith' the .axes of the spools 11 and 12. y .The tracker bar 13 may be cylindrical in cross. section but is preferably cylindrical throughout lthe greater portion of` its extent .cir-cumferentially,` and with an off-set portion 15'formed thereon defining grooves .or

notches 16 and 17.,- Through the'tracker i bar, preferab-lyupon opposite sides of a dia?- netrical line, openings 18 andv 1.9 are produced, the outer .or operative ends of such openings. transecting the Oil-set portion 15 and lthe rearward or inner ends of such open/ ing-s being closed in any approved manner as by the employment of a plate 20 and the p ugs21 or either .Ofsuch means of closure independently. 'Communicating with such Openings 18 and 19 otheropenings or -passages 2 and 23,` respectively, are formed preferably at-substantial right angles to the openings 18'and 19, and the former 22 being in staggered relation to permit ythe formation of asufficient number of Asuch openings in the length of the tracker bar.

Uponopposite sides of the tracker barl twoclosure membersA 24 and 25 are employed having concave faces vcorresponding substantially with the curvature of the tracker bar' and maintained in intimate relation with the said tracker bar by means of one or more springs 26 formed in any approved manner but preferably as shown substantially U- shaped with the extremitiesengaging the opposite closures 24 and 25.

The closure .25

vis provided with a series of openings 126 arranged longitudinally thereof and Within vthe concave side to register with the openings 23- of the tracker bar. The closure 24 has o enings 27 preferably produced in staggere relation, as shown in Fig. 3, to register with `the openings 22 produced in staggered relation in the tracker bar 15; The openings 27 'are' formed in the concavesu'rface ofthe member 24 in the same manner rthat the openings 1,26 are formed intle concave face o the member 25. Communicatin with the` openings 126 and ,27 are a plura ity of flexible tubes or hose 2S leading from the members 24 and 25 to the action.

The openings 19, 23 and 126 are designed to be used in association with music sheets having a compass of sixty-five holes, while the openings 18, 22 and 27 are designed to be used in association with music sheets having a compass of eighty-eight holes. It is Well known that the music sheets now in use employing an eighty-eight hole compass are narrower than the sixty-five hole music so that the holes 18 and 27 must be nearer to gether than the holes 19 and 126. For this reason the holes 22 and 27 are formed in staggered relation to permit the use of a sufficient number of holes of the requisite ca acity in the length of the tracker bar an closure member 24.

For rotating the tracker bar 15 an approved means is provided as the handile 29 secured at or adjacent one end ofthe said tracker bar and convenient to the hand of the operator.

Diaphragms or partitions 30 are also preferably interposed between the tracker bar and the spools inclosing the springs 26, tubes 28- and other features from view and from contamination by dust and other extraneous matter.

With the device disposed as shown in Fig.

. the tracker bar is in position to be opera-ted 1n conjunction with sixty-five hole music, the openings 19 being upon the top ofthe tracker bar and communication through the said openings and openings 23, 126 and tubes 28 being had with the action. 'When eightyeight hole music is to be employed the tracker bar is moved as indicated in dotted lines, bringing the holes vproperly at the top of the bar, communication then being had through the openings 18, passages 22 and 27, and tubes .28 with the action.

Vhat we claim is 1. In a device of the class described, a rotatable tracker bar, openings formed in the said bar, closure members disposed upon opposite sides of the bar and provided with ports adapted to register' at times vwith the openings of the tracker bar, and means facilitating the movement of the tracker bar.

2. In a device of the class described, a tracker bar, provided with a plurality of series or openings adapted to register with openings of a. music sheet, a. similar number of openings formed through the opposite sides of the tracker bar and in communica-l tion with the first mentioned openings, closure members disposed upon opposite sides of and in engagement with the tracker bar and each having openings formed therein positioned to register with one of the sets of openings.

3. In a device of the class described, a tracker bar provided with a plurality ol' series of openings at its forward side, a like number of openings formed upon opposite sides of the tracker bar and communicating with the first-mentioned openings, closure members in engagement with the opposite sides of the tracker bar and provided with o enings and so positioned. that the openings of) one closure member register with the openings at one side of the tracker bar while the openings of the opposite closure are out of register.

4. In a device 'of the class described, a tracker bar presenting segmental surfaces upon opiosite sides and having openings from sal opposite sides to the front of the bar, closure members disposed upon opposite sides in engagement with the segmental surfaces and provided with openings, and means for facilitating the movement of the tracker bar to bring the openings of either side into register with the openingsin the closure member upon that side.

5. In a device of the class described, a tracker bar presenting convex opposite surfaces, openings formed in the convex surfaces and communicating with openings in the front of the bar, closures having concave faces in engagement with the convex surfaces and having openings positioned to register at times with the openings in the convex surfaces, and means facilitating the rotar movement of the bar.

n testimony whereof weaffix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

JUsTUs HATTEMER. ARTHUR KUHLE.

Witnesses:

E. A. SCHMITT, JOHN E. CAPLEAS 

